A family in Minneapolis, North Carolina, is facing an unimaginable tragedy, and they need our prayers and thoughts now more than ever.
Melissa Guinn, a devoted mother of four, was tragically swept away by the raging waters of Hurricane Helene, right before the eyes of her husband, Jamie, and their 8-year-old son, River.
It’s truly heartbreaking to witness the toll of the recent storms across the United States. Many lives have been lost, and countless homes have been destroyed due to the one-two punch of two back-to-back destructive storms: Helene and Milton.
On September 27, the Guinn family sought shelter inside their home in Minneapolis, N.C., but Hurricane Helene would shatter their lives in an instant.
The family lived in a house overlooking a river, a location that would prove disastrous when the storm triggered devastating mudslides. As the storm intensified, the house began to collapse, tumbling down the hillside, as reported by Fox News.
Tragically, four-time mother Melissa Guinn was swept away right before the eyes of her husband and their 8-year-old son, River.
“It sounded like a cannon going off. I just remember being crushed by the house falling all around me,” Jamie told WRAL. “And I can remember screaming for my little boy, and I could hear him screaming. Somehow, we dug through the house where it collapsed almost down into the river, and I found him.”
However, Melissa was nowhere to be found. Her last words echoed in the chaos: “Babe, watch out!” she screamed.
‘Dad, I think Mommy’s gone’
In a desperate act of bravery, Jamie hurled River onto a riverbank, away from the collapsing house. But when they turned back, Melissa had vanished.
“I rushed right behind my little boy, calling out for my wife because I couldn’t hear her anymore,” Jamie recounted.
“He looked at me and said, ‘Dad, I think Mommy’s gone.’”
Unfortunately, the ordeal was far from over.
Jamie and River were forced to navigate through debris, rushing water, and mud for several hours to get help. Jamie himself was injured; he suffered a fractured spine and a laceration to his head.
Yet, the physical pain paled in comparison to the heartbreaking realization when he received confirmation of the unimaginable: his beloved wife and the mother of his children had been found dead. Her body was recovered by authorities on October 7— ten days after the tragic accident.
The couple was just weeks away from celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary.
A devoted wife and a loving mother
“I don’t think I still even comprehend,” he said. “Part of me feels like I’m still in a state of shock and understanding everything that happened. I think I’m just making myself realize everything that did happen.”
Melissa was a devoted wife and a loving mother to their four sons: Brandon, Sebastian, Ethan, and River, whom she leaves behind.
“She was my absolute best friend. I really don’t know how I’m going to make it without her. We spent every day together. Everything I’ve done, she was involved in the same way as every other,” Guinn told Fox News.
According to a GoFundMe fundraiser created by one of Jamie’s coworkers, Melissa excelled in every role she played—a great mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend to everyone in her life. She was described as beautiful, strong, passionate, and generous, embodying the qualities of a truly sweet soul.
